Magic by the Lake

By Edward Eager

A wish goes overboard in the third book in the series called “truly magic in a reader’s hands” (Jack Gantos, Newbery Medal winner for Dead End in Norvelt).

If Jane, Mark, Katharine, and Martha had stopped to think—oh, if they had only stopped to think!—they would have ordered magic by the pound, or by the day, or even by the halves as they had in Half Magic. But no, they asked for magic by the lake—and now they have to deal with a whole lakeful of enchantment!

Soon the children find themselves cavorting with mermaids, outwitting pirates, and—with the help of a cranky old turtle—granting a little magical help to the one person who needs it most.

This funny and gentle classic series is an enjoyable read-aloud and also a strong choice for independent reading. For fans of such favorite series as The Penderwicks and The Vanderbeekers.

Enjoy all seven of the middle grade novels in Edward Eager’s beloved Tales of Magic series!

“The same mélange of realism and fantasy, witty talk and believable characterization that has come to be the hallmark of Mr. Eager’s stories.” —The New York Times Book Review

“The combination of real children and fantasy is convincing and funny.” —Booklist

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Mar 31, 1999
• ISBN: 9780547892429

Edward Eager

Edward Eager (1911–1964) worked primarily as a playwright and lyricist. It wasn’t until 1951, while searching for books to read to his young son, Fritz, that he began writing children’s stories. His classic Tales of Magic series started with the best-selling Half Magic, published in 1954. In each of his books he carefully acknowledges his indebtedness to E. Nesbit, whom he considered the best children’s writer of all time—“so that any child who likes my books and doesn’t know hers may be led back to the master of us all.”

Book preview

Copyright © 1957 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Copyright © renewed 1985 by Jane Eager

All rights reserved. Originally published in hardcover in the United States by Harcourt Children’s Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 1957.

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to [e-mail] or to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 3 Park Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, New York 10016.

hmhbooks.com

Cover illustration © 1999 by Quentin Blake

Cover design by Celeste Knudsen

Hand lettering by Maeve Norton

The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:

Eager, Edward.

Magic by the lake/Edward Eager; illustrated by N. M. Bodecker.

p. cm.

Sequel to: Half magic.

Summary: On a vacation with their mother and stepfather, Jane, Mark, Katharine, and Martha find themselves overwhelmed with a lakeful of magical adventures after Mark captures an ancient turtle that seems to have extraordinary powers.

[1. Magic—Fiction. 2. Turtles—Fiction. 3. Space and time—Fiction. 4. Vacations—Fiction.]

I. Bodecker, N. M., ill. II. Title.

PZ7.E115Mag 1999

[Fic]—dc21 99-24502

ISBN 978-0-544-67170-6 paperback

eISBN 978-0-547-89242-9

v6.0319

For Candace Drake,

my goddaughter and constant reader

1

The Lake

It was Martha who saw the lake first. It was Katharine who noticed the sign on the cottage, and it was Mark who caught the turtle, and it was Jane who made the wish. But it was Martha who saw the lake first. The others didn’t see it until at least ten seconds later. Or, as Katharine put it, at long last when all hope was despaired of, the weary, wayworn wanderers staggered into sight of the briny deep.

This, while poetic, was not a true picture of the case. They really weren’t so wayworn as all that; the lake was only fifty miles from home. But cars didn’t go so fast thirty years ago as they do today; so they had started that morning, their mother and Martha and Mr. Smith their new stepfather in front, and Jane and Mark and Katharine and the luggage in the tonneau, which is what people called the back seat in those days, and Carrie the cat wandering from shoulder to shoulder and lap to lap as the whim occurred to her.

At first spirits were high, and the air rang with popular song, for this was going to be the four children’s first country vacation since they could remember. But two hours in a model-T Ford with those you love best and their luggage is enough to try the patience of a saint, and the four children, while bright and often quite agreeable, were not saints. It was toward the end of the second hour that the real crossness set in.

That lake, said Jane, had better be good when we finally get to it. If ever.

Are you sure we’re on the right road? said Mark. That crossroad back there looked better.

I want to get out, said Martha.

You can’t, said their mother. Once you start that, all pleasure is doomed.

Then I want to get in back, said Martha.

Don’t let her, said Katharine. She’ll wiggle, and it’s bad enough back here already. Sardines would be putting it mildly.

Just cause I’m the youngest, I never get to do anything, said Martha.

That’s right, whine, said Katharine.

Children, said their mother.

I, said Mr. Smith, suggest we stop and have lunch.

So they did, and it was a town called Angola, which interested Mark because it was named after one of the countries in his stamp album, but it turned out not to be very romantic, just red brick buildings and a drugstore that specialized in hairnets and rubber bathing caps and Allen’s Wild Cherry Extract. Half an hour later, replete with sandwiches and tasting of wild cherry, the four children were on the open road again.

Only now it was a different road, one that kept changing as it went along.

First it was loose crushed stone that slithered and banged pleasingly underwheel. Then it gave up all pretense of paving and became just red clay that got narrower and narrower and went up and down hill. There was no room to pass, and they had to back down most of the fourth hill and nearly into a ditch to let a car go by that was heading the other way. This was interestingly perilous, and Katharine and Martha shrieked in delighted terror.

The people in the other car had luggage with them, and the four children felt sorry for them, going back to cities and sameness when their own vacation was just beginning. But they forgot the people as they faced the fifth hill.

The fifth hill was higher and steeper than any of the others; as they came toward it the road seemed to go straight up in the air. And halfway up it the car balked, even though Mr. Smith used his lowest gear, and hung straining and groaning and motionless like a live and complaining thing.

Children, get out, said their mother. So they did.

And relieved of their cloying weight, the car leaped forward and mounted to the brow of the hill, and the four children had to run up the hill after it. That is, Jane and Mark and Katharine did.

Martha was too little to run up the hill. She walked. And nobody gave her a helping hand or waited for her to catch up, and she felt deserted and disconsolate, and the backs of her knees ached. When she arrived at the top, the others were already in the car and urging her on with impatient cries. But she didn’t get in the car. She threw herself down among the black-eyed Susans at the side of the road to get her breath. She glanced around. Then she jumped up again.

Look! she cried, pointing.

The others looked. Below them and to one side was the lake. They could see only part of it, because land and trees got in the way, but the water lay blue and cool, and there were cattails and water lilies, and from somewhere in the distance came the put-put of a motorboat.

Then Jane and Mark and Katharine started to get back out of the car, and they all clamored to go running right down to the lake now, and take their bathing suits and jump into it.

Mr. Smith had a lenient look in his eye, and their mother must have seen this, for she became firm.

All in good time, she said. First things first. Wait till we get to the cottage and unpack.

So Martha climbed back in the car, not feeling out of breath at all anymore, and they drove on till they came to a gate. Mark jumped out and opened the gate, and closed it after them, and then they drove over a rolling pasture, and there were sheep staring stupidly and a few rams looking baleful, and then another gate, and beyond it a grove of trees, and in the grove was the cottage.

And of course before there could be any base thought of unloading the car, the four children had to explore every inch of the cottage and the grounds around it, only not going near the water, because their mother’s word was law and they kept to the letter of it. But they could see the lake from every window and between the silver birches that picturesquely screened the front.

And naturally there was a hammock slung between two of the birches, and better still there was a screened porch with cots on it that ran around three sides of the cottage, and that was where the children would sleep. And there were three little rooms with more cots in them downstairs and another cot in the corner of the living room, for rainy nights, only of course there wouldn’t be many of those.

There was a big kitchen, and a big room upstairs for their mother and Mr. Smith, and that was all of the cottage.

I’m sorry it isn’t any better, they heard Mr. Smith saying to their mother. It was the best I could do so late in the season.

The four children couldn’t imagine what he meant. So far as they could see, the cottage was all that was ideal.

Next came a horrid interval of unloading and unpacking, but few would wish to hear about that. Suffice it to say that at last the four children emerged in their new bathing suits, and the lake was waiting.

Mark and Katharine were the first to emerge from the cottage. As they waited impatiently for the others, Katharine noticed a sign by the front door. It was of rustic letters made from pieces of tree branch, and they hadn’t seen it before because it was the same color as the cottage’s brown shingles. Magic by the Lake, it said.

Katharine looked at Mark, a wild guess in her eyes. Do you suppose? For the four children had had experience of magic, or at least a kind of half magic, in the past.

(After the half magic was over, they wondered if they’d ever have any magic adventures again, and in the book about it it says it was a long time before they knew the answer. And here it was only three weeks later, and already Katharine was ready for more. But if you think three weeks isn’t a long time for four children to be without magic, I can only say that it seemed a long time to them.)

Could it be going to start again already? Katharine went on.

Mark shook his head. Nah, he said. "It’s too soon. We couldn’t be that lucky. That’s just one of those goofy names people give things. You know, like ‘Dreamicot’ and ‘Wishcumtrue.’ Doesn’t mean a thing."

And then Jane and Martha appeared, and their mother and Mr. Smith with them, and there was a race for the small private beach that went with the cottage. And the beach proved to be perfection, first pebbles and tiny snail shells, then soft sand and shallow water for Martha and Katharine, and farther on a diving raft for those like Jane and Mark, who had passed their advanced tests at the Y and could swim out deep.

You all know what going swimming is like, and it is even better when it’s your first swim from your own private beach in the first lake you’ve ever stayed at.

After an hour of bliss, there was the usual rumor among the grown-ups that maybe they’d been in long enough, and after an hour more even the four children were ready to admit there might be more to life than paddle and splash. Just merely lying in the sun on the sand might be even better. So they did that until their mother cried out and said they would catch their deaths. Then reluctantly they went back to the cottage and put on blue jeans (Mark) and old dresses (the three girls) and set out to explore the rest of the grounds.

They found a nice rustic summerhouse on the high point of the shore that would be useful for sitting in and watching the sunset and listening to the water and the mosquitoes. And down on an inlet, round the corner from the beach, was the boathouse.

The boathouse, when investigated, proved to contain a flat-bottomed rowboat and a trim red canoe named Lura, after the first name of Mrs. Kutchaw, from whom they’d rented the cottage. The four children had met Mrs. Kutchaw and did not think Lura an appropriate name for her, but the canoe was dandy. Only their mother, when consulted, said they’d better not take the canoe out without a grown-up along, just yet. But the flat-bottomed rowboat they could use, if they were careful.

Better stay close to shore, said Mr. Smith. There are parts of this lake in the middle where they’ve never found bottom.

This impressed the four children very much, and they now had even more respect for the lake than they’d

Reviews for Magic by the Lake

[quondame · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It is as recalled, but no more. Four siblings stay at a lakeside cottage with their mother and new step-father. They seem to feel entitled to magic and not the least bit careful of it to start.

[mutantpudding · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked the adventures the children went on in this book, particularly the one where they end up turned into turtles and have to go shopping. Humorous and creative. However, some aspects of this book have not aged well, mainly the incredibly racist illustrations and descriptions of the island natives they encounter on their pirate treasure hunt.

[chazzifrazz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jane, Mark, Katharine and Martha experience another magical adventure. This time it is summer. No school, just good times staying in a cottage at the lake. Spending the days on the beach and in the water.While out on the lake, they meet a talking turtle, who tells them about the magic in the lake. They can utilize it for wonderful adventures, but there are rules that must be followed. Through the magic, they visit the South Pole, meet mermaids, pirates, cannibals and find buried treasure on an island; all making for an exciting summer. The good part is the magic is such that their parents never catch on to the children being gone on the adventures. The children always seem to make it back in time for dinner.Trouble comes up when the children don’t want to follow the rules. They find out how important the rules are when they end up in a bad/dangerous situation. They also almost lose access to the magic, as a repercussion to ignoring the rules.The story takes place in the 1940s, a slower way of life without any of the conveniences/inconveniences of today. I’ve enjoyed other books by Edward Eager and plan to read more. It is also nice to have illustrations sprinkled throughout the book. A nice change of pace.

[pussreboots · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Magic by the Lake by Edward Eager is the third of the Tales of Magic series but the moral sequel to Half Magic. It's only a few weeks after the end of the sibling's first adventures, and now they are being whisked away to a lake for summer vacation with their mother and new step-father.The children, desperate to avoid a boring summer of swimming and nature hikes, look for anything magical. Their prayers are answered in the form of an annoying, and officious turtle. The turtle's magic is their access to a summertime of adventures.As it's a lake, most of these new adventures are water related: mermaids and pirates, and a rather unfortunate chapter with island savages. Then near the end, the book takes a preverbal left turn at Albuquerque and does some completely unexpected and extremely satisfying time travel.Thematically I'd say this book is most like Drift House by Dale Peck, except without the underlying depressing subtext of a post-911 America. The children's adventures here aren't as an escape from real world terror.

[ashleymiller-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed Magic by the Lake much more than I did the previous book in this series. It was great to read about the adventures of Martha, Katherine, Jane, and Mark again! They are characters who are becoming much more developed and have distinct personalities! I love how their personalities and relationships to each other seem so real (though I am sure there would be more arguing and fighting among four siblings).

In this book the children spend the last part of their summer (only a few weeks after Half Magic ends) at a lake with their mother and stepfather, Mr. Smith. They go on many exciting adventures including the South Pole, the Arabian desert, and a mysterious island; Jane and Katherine also experience what it is like to be sixteen. It was a fun, entertaining, and exciting read that was suspenseful, but never frightening, which is perfect for young children. I continue to enjoy all the literary references throughout these Tales of Magic books, and there were plenty in this one!

I loved how their silly adventures actually served a purpose as they did in Half Magic. In this story they end up finding a way to save Mr. Smith’s bookstore, and learn many valuable lessons along the way.

The one part of the book that I don’t believe is suitable for younger children is the part when the children are on the island and they encounter natives who are depicted as violent cannibals who speak a funny pseudo language. The natives actually tie them up and put them in pots! They almost get cooked but are saved by some other children who happened to show up on the island at the most perfect time.

Otherwise, this is a great book for any child or parent who has enjoyed the other books in this series. If you love fantasy and magic you will probably enjoy this book.

[antiquary_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the second of the earlier generation of the interlocking series, following Half Magic. This generation is very early 20th century. The marriage between the children's mother and Hugo which was set up in the first book has now taken place, a Hugo has enough money to take them to the lake for the summer, where they become involved with a magical turtle and the magic of the lake itself. The episode I recall best is when the two girls wish themselves to be 16, and promptly are sixteen and dealing with romantic young men, until the shocked younger children undo the spell. Other episodes involves. pirates, mermaids, etc. mostly with a water motif. There are the original, wonderful, whimsical illustrations by N. M. Bodecker, but unfortunately in these reprints another awful, deliberately clumsy cover illustration by Quentin Blake --there seems to have been a notion that pictures for children's books should be drawn as if done by untalented children (there is an equally ugly cover for a reprint of My Friend Mr. Leakey, but fortunately I have the original edition.)

[ecugary · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This story is a great example of how fantasy doesn't hurt children. After spending time in a magical place and experiencing adventure after adventure several children return to their "normal" lives without noticing any impact of their adventure.I think this book would be best used by sharing the book with students one at a time and letting them read it simply because of the story.

[phoebesmum · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fairly standard Nesbit-inspired (the author acknowledges this) fantasy adventure – a family of children holiday by a magical lake, have very mildly perilous and/or humorous adventures, emerge unscathed and, evidently, none the wiser.

[owan_17 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Edward Eager as a wonderful writing style, if you like E. Nesbit you'll like him. His characters are real and so are his scenes. I can't remember much of the story to this (which is why I need to re-read it) but like all of his books, it's well worth your time and effort!